Tuesday, April 23, 2013

TSA Travel Tips Tuesday – Have You Heard About TSA’s New Passenger Support Specialists?

More than 3,000 TSA officers have volunteered to represent TSA in
a new collateral role as a Passenger Support Specialist (PSS).

PSS’s are
Transportation Security Officers, Lead TSOs and Supervisors who have
volunteered to take on the responsibility of assisting passengers who may need
a little help at the checkpoint. They receive
additional training involving scenarios such as resolving
traveler-related screening concerns and assisting travelers with disabilities
and medical conditions.

So here’s the
travel tip:
If you need assistance, or you’re concerned about your screening, you can
request a PSS and they’ll help you with whatever issue it is you might be
having. The goal is to have a PSS in the vicinity of the checkpoint to provide
assistance and resolve concerns so you can get through the checkpoint and make
it to your gate.

Passengers with disabilities who would like to contact TSA ahead
of their screening can also contact the TSA
Cares Helpline by calling 1-855-787-2227.

TSA Cares is a helpline to assist travelers with disabilities and
medical conditions and their families prior to arriving at the airport.
Travelers can ask questions about screening as well as what to expect at the
security checkpoint. TSA Cares provides information about screening that is
relevant to the traveler’s specific disability or medical condition or the
traveler is referred to disability experts at TSA. Travelers may call the TSA
Cares toll free number from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. (Eastern Time) Monday – Friday,
and 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. weekends and holidays.

15 comments:

Probably unrelated, but I hope Bob can help here. Since the small blade ban has been reinstated, I got to thinking about how to handle items that I must carry that can't be in carryon luggage. I heard someone comment, "Just put it in your checked bag," but since so many people--myself included--try to avoid checking luggage due to exorbitant fees, how can we get from here to there with things such as a bottle of shampoo or hair-cutting scissors?

You finally have to take the Americans with Disabilities Act seriously, eh? Got put in hot water by people who KNEW the law and complained? We have held you accountable and you will be accountable to US, not the other way around.You had better make sure that your new Passenger Support Specialists are compliant with TSA policies as displayed on your website and know the definition of a "reasonable accommodation" - otherwise, it will be just the same... sue sue sue!

"Traveling with my wife and 1-year-old through SMF, after my wife and I were both let through the WTMD and were re-packing our stuff, the female screener who grabbed our tray of formula and baby food off the x-ray had a new speech. She needed to do "tests" that would require opening the factory-sealed sterile pre-made formula bottles (which you are supposed to throw away an hour after opening), *or* one parent would get a patdown."

Bob, is this how highly trained TSA screeners are trained to treat people?

So did the TSA create yet another filter layer for me to have to deal with when some TSO in San Diego or Chicago tries to steal my collapsible cane because it is a "baton" (even though I have to PULL it open)?

I have never had any problems with the TSA staff. They have always been professional and patient. It's time to say "THANK YOU" Yes there are times when someone is delayed or may be slightly inconvenienced but rather that than the worst case situation.

"Probably unrelated, but I hope Bob can help here. Since the small blade ban has been reinstated..."

Is anyone really surprised Bob didn't mention this on the blog? Inconvienent turn of events for him to spin. Unfortunately ignoring this gives license to screeners to continue incorrectly telling us everything else we saw on the website isn't true.

Can you tell your boss that flight attendants who are terrified of tiny knives should speak to their employers (the airlines) about their security needs, since TSA was created to combat terrorism, not unruly passengers? As a taxpayer, I do not want my tax dollars spent on things that the airline should take care of itself (e.g., bodyguards for flight attendants and/or revised carry-on policies).

I am travelling out of charlotte tomorrow with my service dog. I am so anxious about it. Last time I flew with him, TSA was so horrid to me and to him...I can't even begin to say what was done. But I will say this as a,warning to folks traveling with a service animal. They removed his vest with the leash. He's a small dog so I ended up holding him. After a half hour, they took him from me - he was acting perfectly btw - and placed him out of my vision on the other side is the screening center. They left him alone without ID-since it was on his vest sitting in one of the gray buckets on the wheeled ramp. He fortunately just sat in the bucket. That was not only the only event that day. After another half hour of me asking for a supervisor, which got met with "do you want to fly today?" I was risked because I have a knee replacement. The problem they said was they didn't know how to handle someone with a knee replacement and a service dog. I am a white woman in my 50s (which shouldn't matter) but just in case you think I was being profiled ot being nasty etc. It was a nightmare for me. I travel with a psd for ptsd. That certainly helped things. Calling tscares right now. Glad there are now pss so there is someone to help in real time.